Has there been a discussion here regarding the right way to conduct a counseling session. We are all trained or in training to be professional astrologers, however are we trained to be professional counselors as well? EA by its nature touches upon the most tender areas in a clients emotional being. What are the boundaries that we need to maintain in order to truly facilitate the whole person in our consultations, and not have someone leave the session fractured in any way? I am coming up to about my 80th consultation. The number of people who have come to me with sexual abuse and other severe traumatic histories, personally has astounded me. I sometimes find my own inner warning system going off. I always counsel from a positive perspective, encouraging that the wounds are the gifts, but I know that everyone has a different breaking point and I need to know how I can avoid that situation, which TG, I have not yet had, wherein someone has a break down as a result of the consult. Can some of the more accomplished folks here pipe in with their experiences, suggestions, and understanding. Thank you in advance.

Thank you Linda, for the pointer to the threads and for the great advice that you and others contributed to the discussion (Ari, Rad, Elen, Gonzalo, et al.) The two most important things that I take away are the need to let go of feeling that I am, or worse, that I am expected to be, the authority. I do ask each client if they have a specific question. Sometimes they do, and sometimes they don't. I do spend considerable time asking them questions to determine their conditioning and to understand the context of their lives. Sometimes this digresses into the client using the session for a platform to just talk about themselves. I listen so as to understand, but sometimes I know that I must stem the flow of words less they eat up the whole session just talking about themselves. I think that sometimes folks come to me just to tell me about themselves, and not necessarily to hear what I might have to say. Rad, I most appreciate you comment (I think it was you) who said to "tread lightly". This is important for me to hear, because I agree that I have the need to tell them as much as I can, to prove to myself and them, how much I see. Anyway, this was a great help to me and gave me perspective and objectivity. Thank you all so much!

"I listen so as to understand, but sometimes I know that I must stem the flow of words less they eat up the whole session just talking about themselves. I think that sometimes folks come to me just to tell me about themselves, and not necessarily to hear what I might have to say. "

Not to put EA on the same level, as its not, but I think this is why on-line psychic & astrology sites and phone services do so well. People are looking for someone to listen to them. I have a friend whose mother asked me to do her chart. What it led too was a series of phone calls. She always calls saying "I'm going to have to get you to see what is going on..." then proceeds to tell me what is going on. I never have to do anything but listen.

If this is what they need (someone to listen), then its important to do just that. It's not about us, its about them.

I have experienced the very same thing. At first it was so new to me, that I just let them talk, and tried to step in during a pause for a breath! But since then, I lay a kind of structure where 50/50 is fair enough, but the client 30 and myself 70 is better. I have found it is extremely important to listen because they are giving clues into their own dynamics. As they are talking, I am correlating it to the chart. I then draw their attention to the chart dynamics adding more depth and insight as we go. Of course I am not so much of an authority, but more like a friend assisting the Soul in its journey. After all, it was due to their own choice-making that they sought out an EA Astrologer. Once this dialogue is established, then the session becomes amazing because I have the attention of the Soul that is yearning to understand WHY. A great purpose of EA Astrologers is to be able to answer the question WHY. Talking about Natural Laws has always yielded great results too. Good luck!

There is a big difference between you and I. You two are professional astrologers, I am not. I only do readings for people who know I study EA, and then only after a lot of arm twisting and bribery :-) This being the case, most of the people who know I study astrology, are spiritual seekers and are interested in past lives etc etc, so they want to hear what I have to say. Not that I say anything :-) I do written reports much like what we do here. There is no conversation involved until after they have read it. Sometimes I get feed back and sometimes not. When I get it I try to listen more than talk unless they ask me a question. Usually, because EA really works, I don't have to say very much.

In your case, when you are doing in person, skype or phone sessions I am sure it is a quite a different story.